Historic Preservation Commission urges council to back lift-bridge option for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge

The Historic Preservation Commission told council it opposes the fixed-bridge alternative in the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project and instead recommends the city support a 65-foot lift bridge. Joan Kestin, speaking for the commission, said the lift bridge would preserve rights-of-way, limit adverse effects on the historic downtown and avoid severe traffic, noise, and vibration impacts that the fixed bridge would cause.

"The lift bridge will do minimal harm to historic districts while the fixed bridge will do substantial harm," Joan Kestin (speaker 18) said, urging council to pass a resolution in favor of the lift-bridge option, oppose tolling and ask that the NEPA study area be expanded to include the area of potential effects and the downtown local historic districts. Kestin argued the lift bridge preserves the current right-of-way, avoids costly additional road construction and maintains the visual character important to historic tourism.

Multiple public commenters also urged stronger environmental review. David Hendrickson (speaker 23) told council that the project, which he described as valued at about $1.213 billion, should require a full environmental impact statement rather than an environmental assessment and urged the city to press NCDOT for a higher-level NEPA review.

Council did not take an immediate binding vote on the commission's requested resolution during the public comment period; staff accepted the commission's written recommendations for the record and the commission asked that the recommendations be provided to the clerk for formal consideration.